Chronicles Of A Dragonborn
by JokerJake94
Summary: Jurgald, disillusioned with the life which has been set for him, leaves his home in Cyrodil to travel to his native homeland Skyrim in the search for fame, money and glory. What awaits this new adventure as he traverses the harsh world of Skyrim?
1. Chapter 1 - Prologue

**A/N: Hello readers, thank you for checking out my story. This is a story based on my current playthrough of Skyrim. Since I write after I play a session, updates to this may not be consistent (I'm a university student at the moment, so naturally updates will lessen when coursework deadlines are approaching). When I know issues are incoming I'll include it in an author's note.**

Chapter 1 – Prologue

12th Last Seed – 4E201

"Dammit Woman, why don't you ever listen to me!" bellowed Erald, as he slammed his fist onto the table; which rather surprisingly didn't break. Erald was a nord living within Cyrodil, with his wife Kirsten and his two (adult) children, the eldest being his daughter Anina, and the youngest being Jurgald. "Father… what's wrong?" a rather timid voice asked quietly. Erald sighed, "Read this note your mother left." Anina took the note and read it.

Husband

I know you disagree with me wanting to travel to Skyrim to fight in the civil war, but it is my homeland. You may not be able to understand as you were born in Cyrodil despite being a nord, but Skyrim is my homeland and I cannot bear the thought of some usurper plunging my homeland into chaos. I may be starting to get on in years but I am still a capable fighter Erald. I will assist the Empire in keeping its lands unified, and then I shall return alive. This I promise. I love you.

Kirsten

"I need to stop her." Erald declared. "But what about the blacksmith here?" asked a rather confused Anina, her mother had just left and now her father is planning on doing the same "how is the blacksmith meant to operate with its head blacksmith?" While gathering his armour and weapons Erlad simply grunted "Jurgald can smith items for a few days, he needs to start doing proper shifts anyways." Before Anina could say anything further Erald ran out the door at a blistering pace, shocking Anina. "How can he run that fast in heavy armour?" she asked aloud, although no one would answer, as the fourth occupant of the family house, Jurgald, was away, doing only lord knows what.

A Few Hours Later

Jurgald arrived home to find just his sister there. "Where's Mother and Father Anina?" asked Jurgald, rather surprised at the empty house. "Both have gone to Skyrim" replied Anina, in a surprisingly cold tone, "now it's just me and you." "What's with the cold tone?" asked a rather bemused Jurgald. Over the last few years Jurgald and Anina had grown a little distant. Both of them were expected to run the blacksmith once their parents retired, Jurgald crafting the weapons in his father's stead while Anina would take her mother's job of keeping track of the finances and making sure the inventory was stocked. Anina had taken her job very seriously, given how she was a very dedicated worker as well as a dedicated learner before she started to shadow her mother, this didn't come at a surprise. Jurgald however had not taken too kindly to being forced to being a blacksmith. He certainly enjoyed crafting weapons and armour however he did not like the feeling of his life being on rails, as if the choice of what to do with his life had been completely taken away, therefore he would put in far less effort into his work, resulting in him working far less hours than his sister, which was something that drew her ire. As far as she was concerned, he was more or less walking out on his family obligations, as it was their parents who had given them a good start to life, and the least she could do was help keep on their legacy by ensuring their parents blacksmith continues to be a success, and she always failed to understand why her brother didn't feel the same way.

Jurgald, sensing this as an opportunity to strike out on his own, was certainly not going to let said opportunity pass. Rushing to get his weapon and what little money he had, Jurgald was soon ready to strike out on his own, well, at least try to.

"You can't leave me on my own, how am I supposed to create weapons to sell?" asked a frantic Anina, who was desperate not to be left with the entire blacksmith on her own. She never trained as a black and still struggled with some of the account keeping, how was she supposed to run the family business on her own?

"Surely you can just hire a few people from around town?" replied Jurgald, who was far more concerned with getting out before his sister gained enough confidence to try and physically stop him.

"We're not made of money, and do you even know how to use that sword of yours?" asked Anina, who was desperately thinking of anything and everything she could do to get her brother to stay.

"Of course I can use weapons, what sort of blacksmith can't?" replied a confident Jurgald, however his confidence was certainly misplaced. Jurgald had been taught a few of the basics, but only enough to be able to defend himself against animals; in a one on one dual against a human opponent, or an large animal (i.e. a bear) he would most likely end up with separated limbs.

"That doesn't….. hey HEY STOP!" Anina yelled with urgency, however Jurgald hat already sprinted out of the house and down the street, and Anina stood no chance in catching him, as he was the faster sibling by some distance.

Having gave chase for some time before giving up, a fatigued Anina sluggishly returned home. _I will not give up, I will fulfil the obligations my family has abandoned, I will keep this business going_ Anina thought to herself as she returned home, hoping to find the resolve required to take care of the burdens that had just been placed onto her.

Jurgald on the other hand headed north. His town wasn't that far south from the Cyrodil/Skyrim border, and with civil was raging within the Skyrim province, then that's where there was glory to be had! Jurgald travelled north, using what money he had to stay at local inns and help pay for travel to speed up his progress.

17th Last Seed – 4E201

It took five days, but Jurgald finally arrived at the Skyrim border. _I finally made_ _it_ Jurgald thought to himself, with his head swelling with pride. He had next to no money left and just a measly sword with him, but that didn't matter to him. Shortly after entering the Skyrim province however, Jurgald came across two groups fighting each other. As it were a group of Stormcloaks were engaged with a bunch of imperial soldiers, however the imperial soldiers easily outnumbered the Stormcloaks, and it was clear who was going to win this fight.

"Enough" commanded Ulfric Stormcloak, leader of the Stormcloaks and the person who initiated the civil war. "It is clear that we cannot win, we surrender."

The Imperial in charge of the cohort that had engaged simply laughed, as the victory most certainly went to his head with little delay, "you hear that men? The Stormcloak commander himself has surrendered to us, round them up for execution!" declared the lead imperial.

Jurgald had watched the battle under the cover the trees nearby in order to avoid the battle. He of course currently had no part in this and getting involved with his basic sword and while wearing civilian clothed would certainly be a bad idea. Unfortunately for Jurgald, an imperial soldier had spotted him after the battle had concluded.

"You think you can hide Stormcloak?" asked a grizzly voice from being Jurgald, prompting Jurgald to almost jump out of his trousers.

"Wait wait wait" pleaded a desperate Jurgald, as the Imperial raised his sword. "I'm not a…." Jurgald continued to say. Before the Imperial struck Jurgald's head with the blunt side of his sword, knocking Jurgald clean out.

And that's how Jurgald winded up on the way to his execution, dumped in the back of a carriage with the Stormcloak leader, one of his key soldiers and a horse thief, who had wounded up in the same situation in a similar manner.


	2. Chapter 2 - Unbound

**Chapter 2 – Unbound**

 **A/N: Quick mention that I do hail from England, therefore the spellings will be the British variants (e.g. honour instead of honor), so of there seems to be a letter missing etc. and you're used to American English, then that will likely be why.**

 **17th Last Seed 4E 201**

Jurgald slowly awoke to find himself bound and on an imperial carriage. Once his vision had fully recovered he quickly discovered that he was sharing the carriage with three other prisoners. The blonde haired man directly opposite was wearing a blue & brown cuirass, which was Jurgald had correctly guessed to be Stormcloak armour, based on what had transpired right before his capture as well as his current (rather limited) knowledge on the civil war. To the right of the Stormcloak was a brown haired nord in rags. Jurgald only paid a short amount of attention to him however it was clear from the nord's facial expression that he was petrified of the predicament in which he was in. To the right of Jurgald was who Jurgald believed to be the leader of the rebellion, which would mean he would be Ulfric Stormcloak himself. While all four prisoners found themselves bound, Ulfric had also been gagged by the imperials. Jurgald had heard the story of Ulfric "shouting" apart the previous high king. Jurgald believed these stories to be utter rubbish, however it would explain why they had gagged him but nobody else. With the leader of the rebellion gagged and the other two in a state of confusion, it turned to the blonde haired Stormcloak to break the silence.

"Hey you, you're finally awake. You were trying to cross the border right? Walked into that imperial ambush, same as us, and that thief over there" stated the blonde haired Stormcloak. Jurgald, feeling a mixture of negative emotion was in too much response to give much of a response, the horse thief however did give a response. "Damn you Stormcloaks. Skyrim was fine until you came along. Empire was nice and lazy" stated the horse thief, with disdain and annoyance clear in the town in his voice. He continued "If they hadn't been looking for you, I could've stolen that horse and been halfway to Hammerfell." The thief then turned to Jurgald, "you there. You and me – we shouldn't be here. It's these Stormcloaks the Empire wants." Jurgald, failing to understand why the thief was telling him this when it would most likely not matter to their captors, elected to remain silent during the conversation. The Stormcloak simply responded with "we're all brothers and sisters in binds now thief." The imperial soldier driving the carriage, having gotten fed up of the prisoners conversing, snapped "shut up back there."

The thief, undeterred by the driver, turned his attention to Ulfric. The thief questioned "and what's wrong with him huh?" The Stormcloak spoke in a harsher tone, strikingly different from his previous friendly tone, spoke assertively "watch your tongue. You're speaking to Ulfric Stormcloak, the true High King." This confirmed Jurgald's suspicions, which certainly did not bode well for the prisoners. The thief responded "Ulfric? The Jarl of Windhelm? You're the leader of the rebellion." Panic returned to his face as well as his voice, "But if they captured you… Oh gods, where are they taking us?" The Stormcloak calmly replied "I don't know where we're going, but Sovngarde awaits" hinting at their impending deaths. Upon this realisation the thief started to panic further, "No, this can't be happening. This isn't happening." A short and nervous silence fell upon the carriage.

The Stormcloak turned to the thief, and asked "what village are you from horse thief?" The thief responded "why do you care?" as he struggled to come to terms with what was about to transpire. The Stormcloak simply responded "a nord's last thoughts should be of home." The thief, still scared at his realisation, replied "Rorikstead. I'm…. I'm from Rorikstead." In the background an Imperial soldier could be hear stating "General Tullius sir! The headsman is waiting!" The General's response was simply "good let's get this over with". With a headsman present it was clear that the prisoners were going to be executed. The thief now turned to the Gods to save him, "Shor, Mara, Dibella, Kynareth, Akintosh. Divines please help me" pleaded the thief. The Stormcloak spoke up in once again a harsher tone, "Look at him, General Tullius, the military governor". General Tullius appeared to be conversing with an elf, which also drew a response from the Stormcloak "and it looks like the Thalmor are with him. Damn elves. I bet they had something to do with this" he stated with a clear resentment towards the pair.

With another heavy silence having descended on the carriage the blonde Stormcloak once again took it upon himself to break the silence. "This is Helgen. I used to be sweet on a girl from here. Wonder if Vilod is still making that mead with juniper berries mixed in." reminisced the Stormcloak. He continued to reflect on the past "Funny, when I used to be a boy Imperial walls and towers used to make me feel so safe." Soon enough the carriage arrived at its destination and stopped within the centre of Helgen. The Stormcloak turned to Jurgald and simply stated "Let's go. Shouldn't keep the Gods waiting for us." Jurgald continued to maintain his silence. In one final act of desperation the thief pleaded "No! Wait! We're not rebels", his pleas however, fell on deaf ears. The Stormcloak, likely fed up with the whinging thief told him to face his death with courage. Desperately the thief called out "you've got to tell them! We weren't with you! This is a mistake!" however his begging would conjure no success. The female Imperial captain ordered the prisoners of the carriages and demanded that they step towards the block once their name was called. The blonde Stormcloak quietly quipped that "The Empire love their damned lists" although it was not loud enough for anyone that wasn't within close proximity to hear.

The soldier with the list first called out Ulfric Stormcloak. Upon hearing his name Ulfric walked toward the chopping block, but not before the blonde Stormcloak net Jurgald could declare that it had been an honour to serve him. The next name was Ralof of Riverwood, which caused the blonde Stormcloak to head towards the chopping block. Next was Lokir of Rorikstead, the horse thief. Lokir issued a final plea, "No, I'm not a rebel. You can't do this!" With his final plea ignored, leaving the thief in a hopeless situation, Lokir decided to make a break for it. Lokir started to run away claiming "you're not going to kill me!" The captain however, had other ideas. After her order to halt had been ignored, she simply called for the archers who fired and killed Lokir while he was in flight. The captain then turned back around to face the remaining prisoners (that had yet to be called to the block) and asked "does anyone else feel like running?" while directly looking at Jurgald. Jurgald was still in shock it what had transpired and couldn't even fathom attempting to run away. The soldier with the list noticed something was amiss, and called for Jurgald to step forward. The soldier then asked for Jurgald's name.

"Jurgald" came Jurgald's reply. Jurgald was not capable of saying anymore, as with a pending execution he was almost frozen on the spot in fear. The imperial with the list started to write something while telling Jurgald that "You picked a bad time to come home to Skyrim, kinsman." He then turned to his captain and inquired "Captain. What should we do? He's not on the list". Jurgald slightly perked up at hearing this, as it gave him a glimmer of hope that he wouldn't share the same feat as Lokir and the other Stormcloaks. This glimmer of hope however, was soon squashed as the captain simply declared "forget the list, he goes to the block." The Imperial soldier turned his attention back to Jurgald, and looking slightly apologetic said "I'm sorry. At least you'll die here, in your homeland." Jurgald was then ordered to follow the captain, which he did so with no escape route letting itself known. All Jurgald could do was hope for some form of Stormcloak intervention to save their leader, since that's the only thing that could realistically prevent his death at this point.

Once all the prisoners were in place, awaiting their executions. General Tullius used the time to give a victory speech to his foe. Tullius opened up with "Ulfric Stormcloak. Some here in Helgen call you a hero. But a hero doesn't use a power like the voice to murder his king and usurp his throne." Ulfric Stormcloak tried to respond to the General's comments, however a she was gagged only muffled grunts came out of his mouth. General Tullius continued "You started this war, plunged Skyrim into chaos, and now the Empire is going to put you down, and restore the peace!" Right after General Tullius had declared this, a loud roar echoed throughout the area. The soldier that had the list questioned what had caused the noise, however the General quickly dismissed it and ordered the men to carry on. The captain requested the priestess of Arkaay to give the prisoners their last rights, however a hot blooded red headed male Stormcloak immediately stepped up to the block, demanded that the priest shut up and that they "get it over with". The priestess, annoyed by the interruption, simply said "as you wish" and allowed the executions to start. The captain approached the captive and forced him on his knees, then put her foot on the prisoners back forcing his head onto the block. "My ancestors are smiling at me Imperials, can you say the same?" spoke the red headed Stormcloak. Immediately afterwards the headsman struck the prisoner with his executioners axe, separating head from body, killing the prisoner instantly. Supporters from both sides would yell a few phrases before the captain would call the next victim. "Next the nord in the rags!" declared the captain, meaning that Jurgald's execution was next.

The distinctive roar from earlier sounded throughout the town once again, however the Captain was quick to keep the executions coming, demanding Jurgald to step to the block before anybody can start to question where the sounds came from. Jurgald, with no other option stepped up to the block, internally praying for anyone or anything to save him from his unjust execution. The captain, despite not having moved the previous body, forced Jurgald to his knees, before stepping on his back to force his head down to the block, which was soaked in the blood of the previous captive. The unnerving echo of the roar returned, however this time Jurgald spotted a flying black beast in the background. General Tullius had also seen this asking "what in the Oblivion is that?" in clear shock and awe of the beast. The beast landed on the tower behind the headman, shaking the very earth as well as causing the headsman to lose his balance. It became clear to everyone in the vicinity was that the unexpected intruder was a black dragon, whose menacing red eyes looked straight at Jurgald before what can only be described as "shouting", blowing everyone off their feet.

Ralof shouted towards the stunned Jurgald "Hey, kinsman. Get up! The gods won't give us another chance!" Jurgald, now having regained his composure didn't need a second invitation to flee the surrounding scene, as he quickly followed Ralof towards the tower on the other side of the street. Inside the tower was a few Stormcloaks, both alive and dead as well as Ulfric Stormcloak himself. Ralof likely shaken at the appearance of the dragon, while also likely feeling relief in having been saved from impending doom, asked Ulfric "what is that thing? Can the legends be true?" Ulfric Stormcloak, responded in a relatively calm manner that "legends don't burn down villages." Jurgald had quickly taken note of the fairly calm demeanour and it wasn't hard to understand how he had become a leader, after all maintain composure as a dragon rained fiery death was certainly a skill few people would like have in their arsenal. Another roar, sounding like it came from almost directly above the tower, broke Ulfric's composure somewhat, as he yelled at his followers to move. Ralof ordered Jurgald and the others up the tower. Despite still being bound, Jurgald quickly ran up the stairs, however before they reached the summit the dragon came crashing through, burying a Stormcloak under rubble and using his fire breath to turn the deceased remains to ash. Jurgald had been in position to back away from the assault, allowing him to remain unharmed. The dragon had left a gaping hole in the tower, which Ralof had ordered Jurgald to jump through. Jurgald, in a sense of anxiety, followed the orders and jumped towards the burning inn, whose roof had been virtually torn apart. Jurgald landed in a fire, scorching his lower body, however it would prove to be nothing major. Jurgald felt nothing, thanks to the adrenaline currently pumping through his veins.

Jurgald quickly made his way to where two adults were attempting to protect a child. The dragon came thundering down and launched a blaze of fire at the trio, however they were able to take cover behind the building, which provided protection from the blaze. Once the Dragon flew off the man dressed in imperial armour noticed Jurgald's presence. Jurgald was surprised to see that it was the same man who had stated that he was not on the execution list. "Still alive prisoner Stay with me if you want to keep it that way." Said the imperial soldier, "by the way, the name is Hadvar." After Hadvar had instructed to his ally to take care of the boy, Hadvar and Jurgald were soon rushing back towards the centre of the town of Helgen. As the dragon approached the pair from the air, Hadvar instructed Jurgald to stay close to the wall, an instruction Jurgald followed. This proved to be a wise move as the dragon landed onto the wall they took cover behind, with the Dragon's wing landing mere centimetres away from Jurgald. Had he not stayed right up to the wall, the wing would have likely penetrated his body, leaving him as a mere corpse.

Once the Dragon flew off, the pair ran through a burnt down house and soon approached the keep, which coincided with Ralof arriving at the same time. Hadvar, clearly not happy upon seeing Ralof, spoke first. "Ralof, you damned traitor, out of my way!" Ralof's response was straightforward, "We're escaping Hadvar. You're not stopping us this time." Hadvar replied in resignation as well as annoyance "Fine. I hope that dragon takes you all to Sovngarde." Upon the conclusion of this "conversation", both instructed Jurgald to follow them into the keep. With most of the surrounding soldiers Imperial, and also figuring that there would be more Imperial soldiers than Stormcloak soldiers, Jurgald decided to follow Hadvar.

Once inside Hadvar, still struggling to comprehend that a Dragon was attacking, took to questioning whether it was in fact a Dragon attacking Helgen. Nevertheless, this didn't stop not Hadvar noticing that Jurgald's hands will still bound in front of him. Hadvar swiftly cut the binds, as Jurgald enjoyed having his hands unbound after spending a few hours tied up. Jurgald then searched a nearby chest and found an Imperial set of armour and weapons, which would help serve him escape the keep. Satisfied with Jurgald's armour and iron sword, Hadvar opted to delve deeper into the keep in order to ascertain if another exit existed. The duo quickly ran into Stormcloaks of equal number. Hadvar hoped to resolve the confrontation in a peaceful manner, however the Stormcloaks chose to engage without delay. The pair of Stormcloaks focused solely on Hadvar allowing Jurgald to cut the female Stormcloak to pieces from behind. The male Stormcloak soon fell as well, as with his focus on Hadvar Jurgald took advantage of an opening during his attack, thrusting his sword straight through the Stormcloaks chest, before performing a 360 spin resulting in the Stormcloak's body almost being split in two.

Jurgald would loot the fallen duo, and would switch his iron sword with an iron battle-axe. As they traversed the keep another roar shook the foundation of the keep, so much so that the roof crumbled and completely blocked off the corridor Jurgald and Hadvar was planning to go down, leaving the pair with only one option, go towards the torture room. Minor resistance was met along the way, however Hadvar was always the main target, ensuring that Jurgald (outside of a few burns) would remain unharmed. Upon reaching the torture room (a room which Hadvar dearly wished the Empire had no use for), it was discovered that the torture master was engaged in battle with several Stormcloaks. Hadvar quickly leapt to the defence of the head torturer, leaving Jurgald to help the assistant, who was currently being attacked by two Stormcloaks. Jurgald would quickly take out he first Stormcloak, who had taken several wounds at the hands of the assistant before Jurgald landed the finishing blow. With the second Stormcloak focussed on the assistant, Jurgald was able to get behind the enemy and drive his battle-axe into the spine of the enemy, resulting in death.

With the Stormcloaks defeated the head torturer spoke up. "You fellows happened along just in time. These boys seemed a bit upset at how I've been entertaining their comrades." With the torturer evidently having no clue with what was transpiring outside, Hadvar decided to enlighten him. "Don't you even know what's going on? A dragon is attacking Helgen." The Torturer however, having been inside the entire time, immediately dismissed the idea, "A dragon? Please, don't make up nonsense." Jurgald could hardly fault the quick dismissal of a dragon, as it was certainly an absurd idea, unless of course, you had seen it with your own eyes like Jurgald had. The torturer's tone did become less dismissive however once he had time to dwell on the situation, "Although, come to think of it. I did hear some strange noises from over there." Hadvar instructed the torturer to come with himself and Jurgald, however the Torturer was having none it, simply stating that Hadvar had no authority over him. With Hadvar's words falling on deaf ears, he quickly noticed something in one of the cages. The Torturer mentioned how the key had been lost for weeks, resulting in Hadvar turning to Jurgald, handing him some bobby pins and saying "see if you can get it open with some picks. We'll need everything we can get." "Sure, take all my tings please" quipped the Torturer. Jurgald quickly picked the lock on the cell and found a spelltome and some robes. These would have no use for Jurgald right now unfortunately, as Jurgald had no intention of learning magic, as he had a preference to melee weapons.

The duo decided to delve deeper into the keep, despite the torturer informing the pair that there was no way out the way they were going. They would soon encounter a group of bickering Stormcloaks, who had been unable to locate an exit. Wielding his two handed axe Jurgald quickly dispatched of the first Stormcloak, and was able to kill a second Stormcloak despite his erratic and frantic swinging, caused by a lack of combat training. Jurgald had to cross a view narrow bridges to make it to the Stormcloak archers which had engaged Hadvar in ranged warfare. Jurgald noted that they had stood in flammable liquid, however since Jurgald had received no magical training, Jurgald elected to continue swing his axe, forcing the Stormcloaks into a defensive position. Despite the Stormcloak's attempts to block the impact of Jurgald's attacks rendered their attempts to block futile, and were soon dispatched with haste. They encountered a small bridge that had been pulled up, however with the level right next to the bridge it was simple to get the bridge down as they entered what appeared to be a cave. As soon as they crossed the bridge, the Dragon's intimidating roar could be heard once again, as the Earth shook once again, which caused part of the roof to collapse, destroying the drawbridge and cutting off the pair's route back into the keep. With no choice in the matter, they started to progress through the cave.

A small stream ran through the cave which they followed until being forced to take a right. This would leave them to a more open area which was called home by a bunch of frost spiders, something that Hadvar wasn't fond of. Four spiders made themselves known and all went for Hadvar, who had entered first. This allowed Jurgald to start swinging his powerful axe behind the spiders, swiftly eliminating the threat. Shortly afterwards they encountered a sleeping bear. Fearful of the bear's might, Hadvar suggested trying to sneak past it to avoid confrontation. Hadvar did give a bow and arrows to Jurgald however, if Jurgald would rather engage. Jurgald, in a hot headed moment, decided to engage the bear. After all, he had dealt with combat easily thus far and not too many people can claimed to have killed a bear, and if he did so it could be something to boast about to others once after their escape. Jurgald drew the bow and fired an arrow at the sitting target. Despite the bear's size and lack of movement, Jurgald's lack of training showed as he fired short of the mark. The bear, having been startled by the noise of the arrow that almost hit its face, awakened from its slumber. Jurgald, now starting to panic having missed, quickly fired a second arrow before the bear could fully awaken, which would hit the mark. The bear was able to take the hit and started to charge Jurgald, who quickly fired a second shot which once again hit but didn't kill the bear. The bear lunged at Jurgald, attempting to take a bite out of the young nord, but fortunately Jurgald got a third arrow off in the nick of time as the bear fell dead right in front of Jurgald.

After nearly being mauled at the hands of a bear, Jurgald needed a moment to compose himself. Jurgald switched to a sword and shield due to fatigue, reducing the power Jurgald could get out of a swing and the pair continued to look for an escape. Eventually they found a source of light, indicating an exit. As relief fell upon the pair, they finally emerged outside the cave. As they emerged outside however, Hadvar immediately told Jurgald to wait and get down, as the Dragon which had burnt Helgen into nothing but ruins and ashes flew over them. With one final roar, which echoed throughout the hold, the Dragon flew away from the area, meaning that Jurgald and Hadvar were safe for now. With the danger passed, Hadvar said "Looks like he's gone for good this time. But I don't think we should stick around to see if he comes back." Jurgald, having no knowledge of the layout of Skyrim, followed Hadvar who was heading to Riverwood, a small village situated in the Whiterun hold. Hadvar was heading to Riverwood to meet his Uncle, who was the local blacksmith.

On the way Hadvar suggested that Jurgald join the Imperial Legion. A bold suggestion considering they had almost chopped Jurgald's head off. Jurgald didn't respond. Once they had reached the path to Riverwood a mountain ruin became visible. Multiple archways towards the mountain could be seen as Jurgald took his time to take in the sight. Hadvar revealed the place was known as Bleak Falls Barrow and how it gave him nightmares as a child. Hadvar elaborated that the main fear was Draugr climbing into his room at night, which Jurgald took as saying that the Barrow was inhabited by Draugr, meaning it would likely be wise to avoid the place. Upon continuing their journey Jurgald saw three stones next to the path. Hadvar explained that they were three of thirteen guardian stones located within Skyrim. Hadvar then encouraged Jurgald to "see for yourself". Jurgald stepped towards the three guardian stones which were the Mage Stone, the Thief Stone and the Warrior Stone. Jurgald, having a strong preference in hand to hand combat, chose the warrior stone. Upon selection, the Warrior Stone shot a beam up high into the sky, however Jurgald didn't feel a thing. The selection of the Warrior Stone did make Hadvar state "warrior, good! I knew you shouldn't have been on that cart the moment I laid eyes on you." Jurgald was perplexed on how the choice of the Warrior Stone was enough ensure that Hadvar believed he was innocent of any wrongdoings, but Jurgald didn't mind, because of course, Hadvar was correct.

Upon arrival into Riverwood, Hadvar headed straight to the blacksmith. "Uncle Alvor. Hello!" greeted Hadvar. Alvor, somewhat surprised to see his nephew, stopped smelting and inquired "Hadvar? What are you doing here? Are you on leave from…" Alvor the noticed a few burns that donned Hadvar's body. "Shor's bones, what happened to you boy?" Hadvar, wanting to keep thinks quiet responded "shh… Uncle please, keep your voice down. I'm fine, but we should go inside to talk." Alvor, somewhat confused asked "what's going on?" before turning his attention to Jurgald "and who's this?" "He's a friend. Saved my life in fact. Come on, I'll explain everything but we need to go inside" replied Hadvar. "Okay okay. Come inside, then. Sigrid will get you something to eat and you can tell me all about it" was Alvor's response. Before Jurgald made his way inside an old woman started shouting "A dragon! I saw a dragon!" Of course had Jurgald not seen the dragon first hand, he wouldn't believe her, and judging how the rest of the village ignored her ramblings, it appeared nobody noticed the giant black dragon flying across the sky of Skyrim. "What? What is it now mother?" asked her son, whose tone sounded fed up, and hinted that it wasn't uncommon for his mother to start rambling about "nonsense". The old woman kept talking about dragons however this was dismissed as crazy talk by her son. Jurgald then made his way inside the blacksmith.

The inside of the blacksmith was surprisingly small by Jurgald's standards. The bedroom was what they had entered into, with the kitchen downstairs. It was certainly smaller than Jurgald's family blacksmith back in Cyrodil. Alvor informed his wife Sigrid that company had arrived and she came up from the kitchen. "Hadvar! We've been so worried about you! Come, you two must be hungry. Sit down and I'll get you something to eat" said Sigrid. Alvor, Hadvar and Jurgald sat around the table located in the living room. Alvor, still unaware of why his nephew was here asked "Now then boy. What's the big mystery? What are you doing here, looking like you lost an argument with a cave bear?" "I don't know where to start. You know I was assigned to General Tullius's guard. We were stopped in Helgen, where we were attacked by a dragon" was Hadvar's response. As one would expect, Alvor wasn't initially convinced. "A dragon. That's ridiculous. You aren't drunk, are you boy?" Sigrid was less dismissive of the story, "Husband, let him tell his story." Hadvar continued "not much more to tell. This dragon flew over and just wrecked the whole place. Mass confusion. I don't know if anyone else got out alive. I doubt I'd have made it out myself if not for my friend here. I need to get back to Solitude and let them know what's happened. I thought you could help us out. Food, supplies, a place to stay." Alvor, not concerned with housing a stranger, responded positively saying "Of course! Any friend of Hadvar's is a friend of mine. I'm glad to help however I can." Alvor's attention then fell on Jurgald. "I'm glad to help, but I need your help. We need your help." After giving Jurgald a few bits and pieces he continued "The Jarl needs to know if there is a dragon on the loose. Riverwood is defenceless, we need to get word to Jarl Balgruuf in Whiterun to send whatever soldiers he can. If you do that for me, I'll be in your debt."

With this being his first foray into Skyrim, Jurgald needed to ask for directions. "How do I get to Whiterun from here?" asked Jurgald, finally speaking since he had been wrongly accused of being a Stormcloak and sent to his death. "Cross the river and head north. You'll see it, just past the falls. When you get to Whiterun just keep going up. When you get to the top of the hill, you're at Dragonsreach, the Jarl's palace" answered Alvor. If Jurgald would have to address the Jarl, he felt it was necessary to have some information about him. "What can you tell me about the Jarl?" inquired Jurgald. "Jarl Balgruuf? He rules Whiterun Hold. A good man, if perhaps a bit over-cautious, bit these are dangerous times. So far he's manage to stay out of the war. I'm afraid it can't last though." With Jurgald currently wearing Imperial armour, Jurgald felt it necessary to ask what faction the Jarl supported (since if he supported the Stormcloaks, turning up in Empire attire wouldn't be wise. "I don't think he likes Ulfric or Elisif much. Who can blame him? But I have no doubt he'll prove loyal to the Empire in the end. He's no traitor." Jurgald, unsure of who Elisif was, made that his next question. "Ah, I forget you're new to Skyrim. Jarl Elisif, I should say, although only because she was married to Jarl Torygg when he was murdered." Alvor then explained how Ulfric had murdered Torygg, and how people say he used the voice to do it, however Jurgald had heard some of the stories regarding this, as his Mother took a keen interest in the war before deciding to leave the family home to join the Empire efforts herself. After obtaining all the information that was relevant, as well dodging Alvor's and Sigrid's daughter constant excited questioning of the dragon, Jurgald left to set off to Whiterun.


	3. Chapter 3 - Bleak Falls Barrow

**Chapter 3 – Bleak Falls Barrow**

 **17** **th** **Last Seed 4E201**

 _Outside Whiterun, Late Afternoon_

With the threat of a dragon looming over the region, Jurgald undertook the short journey with haste, the adventuring having to wait until another day. The journey to Whiterun was uneventful for the most part. A couple of wolfs though they could take on the young Nord, but Jurgald dispatched of them with ease. A more interesting occurrence was the appearance of a giant, fighting against a band of people, all wearing similar armour. Jurgald elected to not involve himself in such matters, the weather was terrible and wet, leaving the ground all murky and damp, not an environment you want to traverse in heavy armour. Jurgald then travelled to the city gates, where he was stopped by a city guard.

"Halt!" demanded the city guard, quickly gaining Jurgald's attention. "City's closed with the dragons about. Official business only." Jurgald questioned in his mind how locking down the city would help against a dragon which can fly straight over, however he was smart enough not to question it. Jurgald of course, did have news of the attack, and while it was not "official business" surely they would have to let him in. "I have news from Helgen about the dragon attack" stated Jurgald. The guard, evidently not entirely happy with the situation based on his tone of voice, replied "fine, but we'll be keeping an eye on you."

 _Whiterun, Evening_

By this time the sky was starting to darken, amplified by the dark skies which was the cause of the current downpour. With minimal light the guards had broken out their torches, it was just unfortunate that Jurgald didn't have one. With no way to illuminate the path before him, Jurgald had to rely on the street lamps in order to ensure he didn't fall over or walk into a wall. Immediately after entering the city Jurgald stumbled across a man in Imperial armour, talking to a woman in a blacksmiths apron.

"We'll pay whatever it takes. But we must have more swords for the Imperial soldiers" stated the man clad in Imperial armour. The female blacksmith responded "I just can't fill an order of that size on my own." The blacksmith itself was of fairly average size, however Jurgald could not see any other staff working on the outside, where the crafting took place, therefore it was unlikely that the blacksmith could produce a mass order. Of course it was evening, so they could have gone home for the day by this point. The blacksmith continued "why don't you swallow that stubborn pride of yours and ask Eorlund Gray-Mane for help?"

The man scoffed at the idea "Ha! I'd sooner bend my knee to Ulfric Stormcloak." Had the Imperial armour not been a big enough indicator, he clearly supported the Empire in the ongoing war. "Besides, Gray-Mane would never make steel for the Legion." This provided some insight to the city itself. Gray-Mane as a family likely supported the Stormcloak uprising, meaning the town was split in allegiance, therefore it would be smart on Jurgald's part to not take sides as best as possible. The female blacksmith would finish the conversation with "Have it your way. I'll take the job, but don't expect a miracle."

The blacksmith was known as Warmaiden's, and after collecting a range of items during his escape from Helgen, Jurgald checked to see if the store was still open, which it was, leading Jurgald to inside to offload the weapons and armour he was currently lugging around. Inside he would learn the operator of the store front was Ulfbearth War-Mane and the female blacksmith seen conversing early was Adrianne Avenicci, the wife of Ulfbearth.

Upon making a little bit of coin by selling his unwanted wares, Jurgald began running towards the palace in the drizzle, however stopped upon hearing a couple having an argument. The female (known as Saffir) was heard first. "I know your family's honour is at stake, but we can't afford it."

The male (known as Amren) responded with a somewhat defiant tone "It took me weeks to find that thieves' den. I can't stop now, and I can't do it on my own." Saffir snapped back "so you're willing to starve your wife and daughter to reclaim some rusty old sword?" Amren started to try and plead with his wife "I just need to hire one, maybe two good men, you won't starve." Saffir became more hostile, and issued her husband with an ultimatum "I'll put it plainly. You can claim your sword, or you can keep your wife. If you set foot outside that gate, I won't be here when you return." With that, the conversation ended abruptly as Saffir walked away.

 _Dragonsreach, Whiterun, Evening_

Jurgald made a note of the conversation, as it was a potential job, but for now he had important news to deliver to the Jarl. Running past the preacher and up the stairs to the palace, Jurgald soon found himself inside the grand building. Jurgald climbed the stairs towards the dining area, where the Jarl was situated on his throne, however before he could bring the new a brown haired female dark elf approached Jurgald cautiously with weapon drawn. "What is the meaning of this interruption? Jarl Balgruuf is not receiving visitors" stated the Elf, with a clear sense of agitation in her voice. "I have news from Helgen. About the dragon attack" was Jurgald's response. Jurgald was slightly nervous, as the woman didn't seem to have much patience, however he had no need to be worried. Upon hearing the reason for his arrival, the Elf loosened up slightly. "Well, that explains why the guards let you in. Come on in then, the Jarl will want to speak to you personally." With that the Elf sheathed her weapon and allow Jurgald to approach the Jarl.

Jarl Balgruuf was slouched on his throne. A middle aged man with blonde hair and a beard. To the Jarl's right stood what Jurgald guessed to be an imperial dressed in formal blue clothes. Jurgald of course was still wearing his armour, due to not having anything else and the urgency of the current situation. As soon as Jurgald approached the Jarl, the Jarl spoke. "So; you were at Helgen? You saw the dragon with your own eyes?" inquired Jarl Balgruuf. Jurgald had thought about making a snarky comment about his near execution, however decided not to implicate himself. "The Imperials were about to execute Ulfric Stormcloak, then the dragon attacked" stated Jurgald. The Jarl's expression intensified slightly upon the mention of the rebellion leader. "I should've guessed that would be mixed up in this."

Upon hearing this information, Balgruuf turned to his Imperial steward. "What do you say now Proventus? Shall we continue to trust our walls? Against a dragon?" asked the Jarl, with stress becoming more paramount in his voice. Jarl Balgruuf was clearly taking the information seriously. Jurgald was slightly taken aback with how quickly the Jarl had believed that a dragon had caused the carnage at Helgen, however given how others had not simply dismissed his story on the way to the Jarl, Jurgald figured that there had been some rumours which he was merely confirming. Before Proventus could respond to the Jarl, the Dark Elf who had approached Jurgald when he entered the palace interjected with "My lord, we should send troops to Riverwood at once. It's in the most immediate danger, if that dragon is lurking in the mountains…." However before she could finish speaking, an alarmed Proventus would butt in. "The Jarl of Falkreath would view that as a provocation! He'll assume we're preparing to join Ulfric's side and attack him!" Despite Proventus expressing his fears, Jarl Balgruuf would not hear any more talk from his steward. "Enough!" commanded Jarl Balgruuf. Proventus would try to press further with his objections, only to be immediately shot back down by the Jarl. "I'll not stand idly by while a dragon burns my hold and slaughters my people!" proclaimed the Jarl. It was clear to see how he had the respect of the people of the hold, as he clearly wanted to protect them and was being proactive in his duties.

With a conclusion reach, the Jarl commanded the Elf to dispatch troops to Riverwood to help beef up the defence in the village. "If you'll excuse me, I'll return to my duties" said an obviously irritated Proventus. The Jarl just responded with "that would be best." With the mini debate over and with only Jurgald left before the Jarl, Balgruuf turned his attention to the young nord. "Well done. You sought me out, on your own initiative. You've done Whiterun a service, and I won't forget it. Here, take this as a small token of my esteem" and with that the Jarl gave Jurgald a studded Imperial chest to Jurgald. This surprised Jurgald on a few levels. Firstly he wasn't expecting this much of a thanks for merely relying information, and secondly Jurgald was under the impression that Balgruuf was neutral in the war. Giving away imperial armour may indicate where the Jarl's loyalty laid. Before Jurgald could contemplate further, the Jarl spoke up once again. "There is another thing you could do for me. Suitable for someone of your particular skills, perhaps." With that, Balgruuf stood up from his chair and continued "come, let's go find Farengar, my court wizard. He's been looking into a matter related to these dragons and…. rumours of dragons."

Balgruuf led Jurgald to the right side of the main section of the palace, where the court's magical supplies were located. In the room was a range of potions, soul gems and other magical items, as well as an enchanter and an alchemy table. Tending the area was a man dressed in blue magical robes. Due to the hood on his robes Jurgald could not get a good look at Farengar's face, other than that he had a weirdly shaped chin. Balgruuf then introduced Jurgald to Farengar, "Farengar, I think I've found someone who can help you with your dragon project." Farengar then turned his attention to Jurgald, likely inspecting the man brought before him. "Go ahead and fill him with the details" finished the Jarl, leaving Jurgald and his court mage to discuss the matter between themselves as he monitored the conversation. "So the Jarl thinks you can be of use to me? Oh yes, he must be referring to my research into the dragons. Yes I could use someone to fetch something for Me." said Farengar. Jurgald was already starting to get annoyed with the man, he wasn't Farengar's servant, why couldn't he just get a guard to go for this quest? If Jurgald was already having issues hiding his annoyance, what Farengar said next certainly did not help matters, "Well, when I say fetch, I really mean delve into a dangerous ruin in search of an ancient stone tablet that may or may not actually be there." Great, not only was he stuck on a fetch quest, he may be risking his life for absolutely nothing. Jurgald wasn't prepared however, as he wanted to get into the Jarl's good books.

Jurgald was growing more and more frustrated by the minute and quickly stated "just tell me what you need me to do." Either Farengar mistook the annoyance for enthusiasm, or chose to ignore the sharp tone in Jurgald's voice as he replied "You are eager for adventure. Excellent. The sooner begin, the sooner done eh?" At this point Jurgald was practically grinding his teeth but Farengar continued "I, uh, learned of a certain stone tablet said to be housed in Bleak Falls Barrow – a "Dragonstone" said to contain a map of dragon burials sites." explained Farengar. "Go to Bleak Falls Barrow, find this tablet – no doubt interred in the main chamber – and bring it to me. Simplicity itself". Simple indeed, well apart from the fact it may not even exist. "Anything you can tell me about Bleak Falls Barrow?" Inquired Jurgald. While he knew what ruin the mage was talking about due to what Hadvar had said during the escape from Helgen, Jurgald had no clue what actually laid within the grand ruin. "An old tomb, built by the ancient Nords, perhaps dating back to the Dragon War itself. Or perhaps you just want to know how to get there. It's near Riverwood, a miserable little village a few miles south of here. I'm sure someone will point you in the right direction when you get there" was the court mage's long winded response.

Jurgald had just about enough of this pompous prat, and decided to challenge him on the Dragonstone. "How do you know this stone tablet is in Bleak Falls Barrow?" asked Jurgald. Farengar's answer was evasive "Well. Must preserve some professional secrets mustn't we? I have my sources, reliable sources…" They were so reliable they couldn't actually confirm that the stone existed, but Jurgald held off from pushing further. Jarl Balgruuf, who had been standing to the side of Jurgald for the entire conversation, re-entered the conversation. "This is a priority now. Anything we can use to fight this dragon, or dragons. We need it, quickly, before it is too late" stated the Jarl. "Of course, Jarl Balgruuf. You seem to have found me an able assistant. I'm sure he will prove most useful" said Farengar. Jurgald was not fond of the idea of Farengar, but when the Jarl requests something of you, you must do it, especially when you are new to the region with nothing to your name like Jurgald was. Jarl Balgruuf then turned to the young Nord and said "Succeed at this, and you'll be rewarded. Whiterun will be in your debt." With that the three men went their separate ways, with Jurgald heading to the Bannered Mare, the local inn, in order to rent a bed for the night.

 **18** **th** **Last Seed 4E201**

 _Sleeping Giant Inn, Riverwood, Early Morning_

Jurgald arrived at Riverwood before dawn break, and having not eaten before bed the day before he decided to spend time at the Riverwood inn (The Sleeping Giant) and wait for dawn to break. Jurgald obtained some ale, a venison chop, some cooked potatoes and a sweet roll from the barkeeper, Orgnar. As it was so early Jurgald was the only patron in the inn at that moment so Jurgald was able to enjoy his food in relative peace.

 _Riverwood Trader, Morning_

After spending a few hours at the Sleeping Giant Inn, Jurgald made his way to the Riverwood Trader, in order to pick up any supplies he could actually afford. However once he got inside the shop he found two people, a male & female Imperial. The female was Camilla Valerius while the male was her elder brother, Lucan Valerius. Jurgald had walked in during an argument between the siblings.

"Well one of us has to do something!" snapped Camilla. Jurgald had just walked in and had no idea what was going on but rather than leave, he stayed and listened to the argument. "I said no! No adventuring, no theatrics, no thief chasing!" ordered Lucan. Camilla, clearly enraged at having their property stolen (Jurgald didn't know what had been stolen, as the shopped was still clearly stocked with goods) angrily responded "Well what are you going to do about it then, huh? Let's hear it!" Lucan wanted the conversation to end and assertively responded with "we are done talking about this!" Lucan would then turn to Jurgald and say "Oh, a customer. Sorry you had to hear that." It was an obvious attempt to get out the conversation. Camilla did indeed drop the conversation, but angrily stomped away to the other side of the shop with a furious expression which could probably kill a thousand men with ease. _Huh, I don't think it's the dragon that the Riverwood folks should be worried about_ , Jurgald thought to himself, but nonetheless Jurgald approached Lucan at the store counter.

Jurgald cautiously inquired "so uhh…. Did something happen?" Lucan stumbled over his response initially, likely surprised that the topic was being brought straight back up, but answered Jurgald's question with "uh yeah, we did have a bit of a… a break-on. But we still have plenty to sell. Robbers were only after one thing. An ornament, solid gold, in the shape of a dragon claw." Jurgald, sensing a decent reward for retrieving the stolen good offered to help them get it back. Lucan was taken by surprise at the offer of help, but was certainly happy to accept the offer as he replied "you could help? I've got some coin coming in from my last shipment. It's yours if you bring the claw back." Lucan then revealed that the claw had been taken to Bleak Falls Barrow, certainly convenient for Jurgald. Not only could he get the dragon stone for the Jarl's assistant, he could as earn some gold on the side in the process.

Lucan turned to his sister and smugly said "Yes. So now you don't have to go do you?" "Oh really Well I think your new helper here needs a guide" retorted Camilla. "Wh- no I…" Lucan had to concede defeat to his sister "Oh by the Eight fine. But only to the edge of town" Jurgald didn't intend setting off immediately, however Camilla, clearly wanting the claw back as soon as possible, got up from her chair and went outside.

 _Riverwood, Morning_

As soon as Jurgald left the trader, he found Camilla waiting for him outside. "We have to go through town and across the bridge to get to Bleak Falls Barrow" explained Camilla, and the two started walking towards the bridge that Jurgald had crossed to get to Whiterun (and back). Jurgald soon found out that Camilla was a very talkative person, as she would talk to Jurgald for most of the short trip. "Those thieves must be mad, hiding out there. Those crypts are filled with nothing but traps, trolls and who knows what else!" explained Camilla. Jurgald made a mental note of this information, but judging by how she ended her sentence, it was likely her information was based more on assumptions than actual facts or experience. As the pair got closer to the edge of town, Camilla spoke up again. "I wonder why they only sole Lucan's claw. I mean, we have plenty of things in the shop that are worth just as much coin" said Camilla. While she pondered on why the claw had been targeted, Jurgald was content to remain silent on the issue. Despite receiving no response, Camilla would continue talking. "Lucan found the claw about a year after he opened the store. He never quite explained where he got it. He's quite the tricky one" explained Camilla. Jurgald continued to remain silent, not wishing to get involved in, what at least appeared to be, the mini feud between the siblings. Soon enough they arrived at the bridge leading away from the town. "This is the bridge out of town" said Camilla. She would then enlighten Jurgald on how to get to Bleak Falls Barrow by saying "the path up the mountain to the northwest leads to Bleak Falls Barrow"

Jurgald, having remained silent for the entire way finally spoke up. "Thank you for showing me the way" said Jurgald, giving Camilla a little courtesy smile. Jurgald continued "I'm going to gather some supplies and then I'll retrieve the claw." Camilla simply responded "In that case I guess I should head back to my brother. He'll throw a fit if I take too long. Such a child." Jurgald offered no response and went on his way. Jurgald explored the small village but ultimately there wasn't much around the area. There was a lumber mill where the owner offered money for chopping up wood, however Jurgald was in too much shock to really pay attention, as he watched in awe the owner lift a full tree log, solo, onto the cutter. While exploring the lumber mill Jurgald saw an elf with a bow and arrow strapped to his back. _Ha here we go,_ Jurgald thought to himself, _he looks like he could provide some assistance._ Jurgald had been looking for assistance in his quest, as he while he could be fairly gun ho, he knew he would likely need assistance in a big ruin like Bleak Falls Barrow. With the elf the only person in Riverwood Jurgald had found that actually brandished a weapon, Jurgald approached him.

The elf turned around as Jurgald approached. "Did I see you talking to Sven?" asked the elf. Jurgald, confused as to why he was being asked this, stuttered out a no. "I must be mistaken then, never mind. But I would stay away from him if I were you" warned the elf. Jurgald, intrigued as to how this dislike had come about, asked the elf what was his problem with this Sven. "He's a bard, so he says. Occasionally he finds time to do his job here at the mill. Thinks his ballads and sonnets are going to convince Camilla Valerius to marry him. As if she would say yes" was his answer, with spite and a strong dislike for this Sven evident in both tone and choice of words. _I know what's going on_ Jurgald thought to himself. _Given the size of the settlement she's probably the only available female in the village, so all the bachelors are fighting amongst themselves over her._ The elf was clearly in his middle ages, as wrinkles donned his forehead and his body looked like it had suffered from wear and tear, and Jurgald was surprised to see him going after a woman like Camilla, as she, at least in Jurgald's view, was way out of his league.

While Jurgald thought to himself, the infatuated elf continued his rant on his rival. "An intelligent, beautiful woman like her wouldn't fall for that nonsense….. I hope" said the now rather doubtful elf, with worry plastered across his face as he started to fear that Sven may actually succeed. "You hope? You don't sound very secure" said Jurgald, sensing an opportunity to assist the elf. He wanted to help partly because he figured he could use this to earn a favour with the elf, and use it to enlist him (if that didn't work he knew he could be easily manipulated by telling him that Camilla gave him the job). Jurgald also got the sense that Sven as one of those pretty boy bards who were full of themselves, and Jurgald had no time for those kind of bards. "I've been thinking… maybe Camilla needs a little help seeing Sven for what he is" said the Elf. "Could you give her this letter, and say it's from Sven?" asked the Elf. "I think I've matched that Nord's lack of cleverness perfectly" he continued. _I'm pretty sure this makes you as much of a douche as he is_ Jurgald thought to himself, but didn't mentioning anything directly to the elf.

 _Riverwood Trader, Midday_

Jurgald had a quick look around town to find this "Sven", however the aspiring bard was not in the inn and Jurgald couldn't find him elsewhere, so he went straight to Camilla. "I have a letter from you, from Sven" lied Jurgald while handing Camilla the letter. "Another poem, I bet. He does know how to make a girl blush" said Camilla. _I guess he was right to be concerned_ Jurgald thought. Camilla was smiling and was happy to receive the letter, but her face soon turned to a scowl. "What's this? If that oaf thinks all I'm going to do is stay in that filthy house of his and clean, I'll", Camilla at this point stopped reading the letter and looked back at Jurgald. "You can tell Sven that he already has a mother, and I'm not speaking to him anymore" Camilla told Jurgald. Before Jurgald left however, Camilla did wish him luck in retrieving the claw.

 _Riverwood, Lumber Mill, Midday_ __

Jurgald returned to the lumber mill and found the elf chopping wood. "Uhh.." Jurgald initially stumbled, as he didn't actually know this guy's name, "I don't believe I asked your name.." Jurgald finally said." The elf looked slightly confused but replied by saying his name was Faendal. "My name is Jurgald, and I don't think Camilla will be spending any more time with Sven" Jurgald said, delivering the "good" news to Faendal. "I appreciate your help. Please, take this. Some gold I've saved up from working at the mill" a pleased Faendal told Jurgald, and gave him twenty-five gold. "If you want to impress Camilla, I may be able to help you" Jurgald told Faendal. Faendal leaned in slightly, curious to what the young nord had in mind. "She tasked me of retrieving the Golden Claw that was stolen from the trader. The bandits are at Bleak Falls Barrow…" however before Jurgald could finish Faendal had already set off.

 _Bleak Falls Barrow, Early Afternoon_

Jurgald soon caught up with the older elf, and together they made their wat to Bleak Falls Barrow. The mountain path to the ruin was fairly short, with the pair having to deal with some wolves, as well as a small bandit patrol by a lookout tower close to the ruin. Neither caused much problem however one of the downed bandits had iron armour and a steel sword, allowing Jurgald to upgrade his equipment, with Faendal getting Jurgald's old armour.

A long grand archway represented the entrance. It would have been possible to sneak up the stairs at the side of the archway to try and get a sneak attack under way, however Jurgald ran straight up the stairs and attacked the female bandit on his left. Jurgald came under archer fire which prompted Faendal to launch his own arrows towards the bandits further up the stairs and closer to the entrance. Only a few bandits were guarding the entrance and the pair soon dispatched them.

After entering the ruin, the small path before them was shaped like an s, with a camp fire at the end. It would've been hard to sneak in the small and cramped space, therefore the gun-ho Jurgald once again ran towards the fire, and quickly took care of the bandit tending the fire. Jurgald, however did not see the second bandit, hiding at the stairs at the end of the path that led deeper into the ruins. Jurgald took cover behind some rubble while Faendal moved up to engage with the enemy archer. Faendal took a view hits but was able to shrug them off, firing back at the enemy. With the bandit concentrating on Faendal, Jurgald emerged from his cover and ran straight at the enemy. The bandit noticed this sudden movement and quickly changed her aim to hit the advancing nord. Jurgald however was able to get his shield up and protect himself from the shot. Jurgald then took his sword and penetrated the bandits armour, sending his sword straight through her stomach. Jurgald then looted what was of value in the mini makeshift camp and delved deeper into the dank ruin.

Jurgald and Faendal travelled through the vine ridden ruins, removing any sticky spider webbing which got in their way. Soon enough they found an open square section of the dungeon, which contained another bandit. Jurgald couldn't see if he was alone as he couldn't see the entire room, therefore he signalled for Faendal to stay low, and they slowly approached the room. The way further into the ruin was blocked by the gate, however there was a lever in front of the gate. The bandit thought simply pulling the lever would open the gate, however the end result would be a bandit that would be impaled by several arrows. With the ruin itself killing the bandit, Jurgald approached the corpse for any clues, however aside from equipment and gold, the bandit had nothing. Jurgald then looked up above the gate.

"Look, up there" pointed out Jurgald. Faendal saw what Jurgald was pointing at. "You must have to match the symbols down here with the ones up here. Good eye" complimented Faendal. The first symbol was of a snake, however the second symbol had fallen from its position onto the ground. Fortunately the symbol, despite having crashed onto the ground at a prior moment, could still be seen, and it too was a snake. The third symbol, still in its original place, was a fish. On the lower floor, where Jurgald and Faendal were, there were three stones which could be turned, with a symbol on each of their three sides. Jurgald turned them to match with the symbols located above the gate and pulled the lever.

Sure enough the gate opened, sparing Jurgald from a hail of arrows. The next room would force the duo to travel down a curled staircase, which was cramped and tight, allowing no room for combat if they were attacked. Fortunately only skeevers combatted them in the enclosed space, and they were able to get back to wider ground. The eerie ruins continued deeper as the presence of spider webs became more and more common. Not before long Jurgald and Faendal came to a circular room, locked off by spider webbing. After a few swing Jurgald chopped down the spider webbing blockading their way, and made their way into the next room.

The room was almost circular, covered in spider webbing. Rubble littered the right side of the room. AT the far end Jurgald could see a man, possibly the bandit leader, trapped in spider webbing, confirming that spiders were still present in the area. Before Jurgald could move towards the trapped bandit, Jurgald saw the frightening shadow of a large spider. Jurgald looked up and behold, there was a large spider dropping down from a hole in the roof. This spider however, appeared to be a step slower than one would expect, leading Jurgald to conclude that the bandits, while having been defeated, had managed to inflict some damage on the hideous arachnid. Jurgald elected to run back behind the archway that he had just cut the webbing from, as the spider's size meant that it could not pursue. Faendal on the other hand stepped right into the makeshift arena, launching arrows at the monstrosity at point blank range, however soon found himself being overpowered by the spider. Jurgald, having been taking pot shots with his sword from the safety of the archway, ran around the spider and started slashing it from behind to try and stop the spider from chopping Faendal into buts. "Kill It, Kill It!" bellowed the trapped bandit, but Jurgald was too occupied with killing the spider to pay attention. The spider launched a last ditch attack on Faendal, sending the elf flying into the wall behind him, incapacitating him for the moment. Jurgald would ensure the spider could inflict no more damage, as he brought his sword crashing down for a final time, cutting through the spider and killing it where it stood.

Jurgald went over to Faendal to check on his companion, who was groggily getting back to his feet. "Are you OK?" asked a worried Jurgald. "I've been better, I'll be fine" responded a dazed Faendal. "You, over here!" called the bandit, obviously wanting to be cut down from his rather unique binds. Jurgald made his way over to the bandit, being rather annoyed at the interruption. "You did it! You killed it!" said the bandit, not quite believing he was no longer dinner for the creature. "Now cut me down before anything else shows up" the bandit ordered. Jurgald would not do what was requested immediately, believing this was a good opportunity to extract some information, more specifically about the whereabouts of the golden claw. "Where's the golden claw?" asked Jurgald. "Yes the claw. I know how it works. The claw, the markings, the door in the Hall of Stories. I know how they all fit together!" exclaimed the bandit.

 _Not quite what I wanted_ Jurgald thought.

"Help me down, and I'll show you. You won't believe the power the Nords have hidden there" the bandit continued. Jurgald did not trust the bandit one bit, believing he will either run off or try and take them both out, especially since Faendal still needed some time to recover from his "bump". Jurgald asked for the claw first, but that was certainly a silly request, considering the bandit was enclosed in spider webbing. Both Jurgald and Faendal drew their weapons and Jurgald freed the bandit. The bandit laughed and said "You fool, why should I share the treasure with anyone?" before running into the crypt. Jurgald gave chase and finally caught up to him, pulling his shoulder to stop him and hold him in place, while Jurgald thrusted his sword straight through the bandit's body, killing him immediately.

The now ceased bandit had kept a journal, detailing his exploits, and how and why he obtained the golden claw. The journal didn't have much of significance, apart from "when you have the golden claw, the solution is in the palm of your hands." Jurgald, not having studied the claw yet, didn't know what this meant, and decided to try and decipher it when they got to the locked door. The pair then advanced into the room, which contained several dead bodies and was evidently a crypt. They had seen a few urns on the way, but up until this point it had been mostly sticky spider webbing that had decorated the area. The spider webbing had disappeared at this points, indicating that the spiders never came this far down.

The room was fairly large and open, however there were support columns in the middle to support the roof. Jurgald and Faendal started to make their way past the skeletons located in the exposed tombs, dig into the side of the wall, however to their surprise many of them emerged from their resting places and started attacking the duo. This were known as Draugr. Jurgald made his way to the furthest enemy, donning some ancient looking armour, and started hacking at the skeleton, leaving Faendal to entertain the rest. Jurgald struck first, but was able to deflect the two handed sword the Draugr threw back at him, thankfully however it only left a minor cut, with the Draugr failing to make any significant contact against his enemy. Faendal had been forced to use his dagger, as the Draugr had caught up and surrounded him, however Jurgald was busy dealing with enemies himself to offer any assistance. Jurgald slashed the enemy on final time as he dropped to the ground. Another Draugr, this time brandishing a shield and sword, lunged at Jurgald from his right, Jurgald however showed quickly reflexes and bashed his shield into the oncoming opponent, stunning him in his tracks.

With Faendal in trouble, Jurgald ran to help his companion, rather than engage his opponent. Faendal was having to use a dagger against another draugr. Faendal stabbed the Draugr who had his back to Jurgald, stunning him and slowing Jurgald to deliver the killer blow. Jurgald sensed the draugr he had stunned temporarily launching an attack from behind, and turned around and used his shield to absorb the draugr's attack. The draugr initiated a quick second strike but with his shield still up, Jurgald was able to absorb that lunge too. The draugr elected to keep striking at the Nord, allowing Faendal to continuously his the animated skeleton with many quick stabs, while Jurgald kept his shield up, protecting himself from any major damage. With the Draugr weakened, it launched a final desperate strike at the nord, who speed back, leaving the draugr hitting nothing but air, which left an opening that Jurgald used to deliver the final strike, and killing the last Draugr in the area.

Jurgald beckoned to Faendal. "Here, use this iron sword, it'll do more damage than that little thing you are using" said Jurgald as he gave an iron sword to Faendal. "I can use both weapons by dual wielding" said Faendal. "Err… You sure about that?" asked a rather worried Jurgald. "Don't worry, I've practiced dual wielding multiple times" Faendal assured Jurgald, "I figured it would impress the beautiful Camilla" Faendal continued. Jurgald merely rolled his eyes and they continued. Next up was a tight and narrow corridor, with axes swing from side to side. Jurgald ordered Faendal to wait, and then stood right before the first axe was, in order to run past them in one go. Jurgald bided his time and at the right moment sprinted as fast as his leg would allow, and was able to avoid all three swinging axes and make it to the other. A wave of relief fell over Jurgald, thankful he wasn't hacked to pieces, and he pulled on a chain at his end, stopping the axes, allowing Faendal to cross the narrow trap corridor with no risk.

What followed was a windy collection of small circular rooms filled with more hollowed out graves. The bitter coldness of the crypt becoming more of a factor as they delved deeper into the ancient ruin. The scattered mini fire pits were a warm welcome, illuminating the way as well as providing some much needed, however small, warmth. There was one difference with these "coffins" however, in that some skeletons had been left vertically standing, rather than lying down, as one would expect. Naturally the first "standing skeleton" the duo come across was actually a draugr, however it would be a two on one fight in Jurgald's and Faendal's favour, and the pair easily dispatched the enemy. Jurgald then looked down the corridor and saw another skeleton standing in the wall. Jurgald, assuming this was another draugr, ran over the oil ridden corridor and lunged at the skeleton. As Jurgald expected, it was indeed a draugr, and it could not manoeuvre out in time to stop the lunging nord. Jurgald unleashed a fury of striker upon the foe, who quickly fell to the ground.

Jurgald had been too engrossed with his opponent, that he failed to notice the pair of draugr lurking from behind. The closest went to stab Jurgald from behind, but Faendal parried the blow and struck the enemy. The pair of draugr continued to focus on the nord, with the battle axe wielding draugr making contact with Jurgald's shield. This allowed the sword and shield wielding draugr to take advantage of Jurgald's broken guard, connecting his axe with Jurgald's shoulder. Luckily for Jurgald the blow only resulted in a minor wound, and he retaliated before the enemy could get their guard up, resulting in the shield bearing draugr to collapse into a pile of bones. With the situation now back in a two on one in Jurgald's favour, the second draugr did not last long.

The pair showed good chemistry, despite only having met earlier in the day, with not much communication required between them. The pair continued to delve even deeper into the ancient crypt, and found a surprising sight. A small waterfall and stream flowed from the room, down a small tunnel, however on the far side of the room there were coffins, and unsurprisingly draugr emerged from the previously enclosed coffins. They failed to put up much of a fight, and were dispatched with haste. They had no other choice but to follow the stream, much to Faendal's displeasure.

Despite only having to walk in a stream for mere moments, before the area widened out to include land beside the stream, Faendal still complained. "Now I have to travel with soaked boots" complained Faendal. "Remember who you are doing this for" replied Jurgald. "But we have the golden claw, can't we just go back?" inquired Faendal. Of course Jurgald still had to find this "dragonstone", hence why he had continued. Faendal, of course, did not know this and Jurgald did not wish to share this information, as he wanted the Jarl's gratitude, and for it not to be shared. "There must be some valuable treasure down here, think how impressed Camilla will be if you unlocked the crypt's secrets" responded Jurgald. This soon put a spring in Faendal's step, with Jurgald falling behind, struggling to catch up/

 _May want to avoid mentioning Camilla again,_ a now rather fatigued Jurgald thought to himself.

With little resistance Jurgald and Faendal soon made their way towards the main chamber. They reached the wooden doors which led to the locked door which required a dragon claw, however there was another draugr blocking the way. This bearded draugr however, seemed slightly different. He was far more agitated and restless than the others. Jurgald would soon find out he was faster and more powerful than the others as well, as the restless draugr would dodge Jurgald's initial assault, and connect with his great sword twice on the Nord, inflicting moderate wounds and stunning the young nord. Faendal would attack the draugr from behind but this would not stop the relentless attack on Jurgald, as the draugr hit a solid hit on Jurgald's shield, which would severely bruise Jurgald's shield bearing left hand. Jurgald attempted to run up some rubble and jump across back toward where he had come from in attempt to escape the cornered position he found himself him, however the draugr lunged at the nord before he could perform his manoeuvre, inflicting a painful wound across the back of Jurgald. Jurgald, now stunned against the rubble, was an easy target for the draugr. The draugr lifted his great sword up and brought it down to finish off the nord, however the nord was able to roll forward, past the draugr, and out of the way of what would've been the death blow. The draugr had put so much power in the swing, that when the sword made contact with the rubble, the draugr staggered allowing Jurgald to drink a health potion, resulting in Jurgald getting some of his energy and alertness back.

 _How do these things even work?_ Jurgald thought to himself.

The draugr, having recovered, lunged once again at Jurgald, who this time was ready and was able to effectively block the draugr's attack. Faendal, who had been swing wildly at the draugr the entire time, lunged his sword through the ribcage of the draugr, penetrating the chest plate and killing the draugr. "Jurgald, are you OK?" Faendal worryingly asked Jurgald, as he made his way to check on the nord. "I'm good" Jurgald responded, waving off Faendal's worries, however it was clear that Jurgald had been injured. He was limping on one leg and his armour at the back had been split, revealing a deep long gash down his left shoulder. Jurgald immediately headed into the inner sanctum, before Faendal could protest further.

 _Bleak Falls Barrow, Inner Sanctum, Late Afternoon_

The fatigued pair made their way past the few remaining draugr, and soon found the locked door. The corridor was much wider and well-lit than the rest of the dungeon, revealing markings on the sides of the walls. Jurgald however, was not interested in them and made his way towards the door. Before he could get their however, the pain in his leg would prove to be too much, and he collapsed onto one knee. "Let me help you" Faendal told Jurgald and moved to support the nord before he could protest. Faendal put Jurgald down close to one of the fire for warmth. "I know some first aid from when I used to travel" Faendal mentioned, as he reached into his bag for medical supplied. "I didn't realise you were carrying medical supplies" said a rather surprised Jurgald, "I didn't have you pinned for a medic" Jurgald continued. "I didn't adventure for very long, but it doesn't take long to realise how important it is to be able to treat yourself" said Faendal, as he examined the injuries Jurgald had sustained. "It's a good job you came a long then" quipped Jurgald. It was certainly the truth, if it were not for Faendal, Jurgald would now be trapped deep inside the crypt with moderate injuries. While they were not life threatening, if he got caught alone in this state by several draugr, he likely wouldn't last long.

"I'll do what I can, but it looks like an ankle sprain. I'll clean your gash and we'll rest for a few hours" Faendal informed Jurgald.


End file.
